We are up to the last weekend of the holiday. It is raining hard with more forecast for the next 24 hours. It is also the eve of Anzac day so Eric and Stuart are camping out at ATC HQ just down the road in preparation for the dawn parade tomorrow. This will be Stuart's first and the rain certainly did not put him off going. Eric was keen to go as well.
We have had a pretty good holiday. We mostly stayed local, with a couple of day trips just to get us out of town. The first one was an all-day fish last week sometime. Eric and friend Amos accomapanied Chantelle and I out to Puketu Island where we got ourselves cut off by the tide for the day. Our fishing trips normally last a couple of hours and there is always the feeling that time is short and we should be going home. So it was nice to know that even if we wanted to go home early, we couldn't without wading up to our waists. So we fished and cooked fish and ate, and sat and explored and sat in the shade of rocks for the whole day. I had always wanted to climb to the top of the island, partly for the view, partly because there was an old Maori bloke (tohunga) who used to live up there, and mostly because there is an innate part of me that sees a hummock and wants to get on top of it! It was a steep climb, nearly vertical, through shallow rooted grass and gorse, riddled with rat holes. It put off the 2 young 'uns early on! The top of the island has been planted with flax and other natives and was very thick. Got some good views and different perspectives from usual. I can see why the tohunga made his base there and was able to warn his people about the neighbouring war party heading their way from Taipa.
That day on Puketu marked the start of the holiday proper. After which I could sleep in and not wake up worrying about school, pupils, classes. We spent some days mooching around. Did lots of farm work, getting the veggy beds ready for winter plantings of garlic and strawberries. The boys came down the odd time to do some work. Stuart is a dab hand at the scythe. Eric proved pretty good at digging. Paddy is always up for helping and weeded the strawberries and gave the windows a good clean.
Transition Town Kaitaia had a film show on Friday night, showing a cool film about Mike Reynolds - an American architect who has built a whole series of highly energy efficient houses mostly out of tyres and other waste products. This led to finding out that a community garden is in-planning on a site adjoining our school. Very exciting!
This week Chantelle and I have been doing some of our respective works. Meanwhile the boys have amused themselves with constant trips into town. Paddy and Stuart routinely cycle to and from town which is great for all concerned. Eric's bike is apparently too small for him ...
We all had a trip out to Whangarei on Wednesday. There is not a huge amount to do in Kaitaia if you want something non-beach or bush. So we had a city day. It started with Laser maze - a big hit with all 3 boys (yes! all of them came out sweaty and smiling!). BK for "lunch" - once in a blue moon, nuff said. Then clothes shopping was perhaps less successful. Eric found a rare edition hotwheels for his friend. We found a cool second hand bookstore positioned unexpectedly in a huge retail park. Then onto the cinema to watch Pink Panther 2. I think we all enjoyed it. Paddy and I were laughing out loudest - I did not expect it to be so good. Finally a stop at our favourite Chinese - Tai Tong - where you buy a plastic pot for $6.80 and fill it with whatever takes your fancy from whatever the chinese call a "smorgasbord". Oh no .... Paddy insisted (all day) on going to a dairy to buy more lollies. We headed back north through shocking rain, very carefully.
Pictures later ...
Friday, April 24, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Coming up for Air
That was the title of a George Orwell novel eh?
Fits our state as we sit back at the end of a very pleasant Easter Sunday.
School finished on Thursday after a manic week at the end of a manic term. Chantelle was away at Matamata doing her course, so I was it.
That included ferrying boys to various after school activities, sorting out bikes locked to lamposts at school with lost keys, cooking, cleaning, making sure all got to school on time, and that Eric got to Whangarei on Thursday for an orthodentist appointment to replace a broken brace wire - total travel time 4 hours, time spent in chair less than 10 minutes!
All to be expected really. Last week of term likewise. Kids all trying to complete work so they could meet deadlines to get credits, on top of all their other commitments and trips. My 12 Science class have been making red wine this term. They have to compare its density (and so alcohol content) with that of commercial wine. It was surprisingly good and strong. The grapes came from the principal's small vineyard. I was so impressed by the results that I will increase the size of our own vineyard and have a go at growing more grapes next year so that we can make our own vintage in the future.
We have finally de-stocked. The last 3 sheep went off to a guy a few kms away. We put the last lamb in the freezer. Ate a leg of it tonight - bloody gorgeous - literally as it was quite rare! That is the only part of sheep keeping that I will miss. The rest of it is a pain. Checking twice daily for - dog attacks, escapes, lameness, falling in drains, getting into tree areas, flystrike at certain times of year. They are not really that much hassle, but it is quite liberating having the property sheep free. For one thing I can leave all the gates open.
More than that it now makes sense to plant large numbers of trees all over the place. I have visited a number of really cool properties since we moved to Northland and none of them have been sheep farms! Alright if you like a short field of grass. I like the vertical dimension and have seen some really great treed places. Orchards with patches of garden is the look I am going for. Perhaps some kind of rambling jungle, with clearings where little shacks will sit hidden from the hot sun and from neighbours. Curving paths that wind beneath fruit trees, so that you can have a meal as you walk around the place.
Where were we? To accompany the lamb, there was a very acceptable bottle of Dalmatian wine made by one of William Tailby's neighbours. It had legs stout enough to get up and carry the glass away. Almost strong enough to be a port.
We have a couple of the boys' friends over for the night and now that the post-tea wrestling match has finished, they seem to have settled down to watch the film. Not a great selection tonight - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, followed by some Yank Hollywood offering. The only good thing is that there is no TV advertising, so you get the film in about half the time it would normally take. There have been some great films on Maori TV the last few Sunday nights. "Trouble on the Waewae Express" last week was a great little study of a group of youngsters who live and drive too fast. One of them kills his mate in a crash and then has to live with the repercussions. Half the cast were Maori and half Pakeha, including a Buddha-like Malayan taxi driver, who saves the guilt stricken driver from self-destruction. Lookout for it on C4 if you are in Blighty!
So we are gradually getting our breath back, Chantelle took the boys to the beach for the Easter dawn service. I have tried to have a proper Sabbath, by doing no school or farm work. It was difficult as I ended up doing washing up, cooking, and even some scything, but it was all just playing.
That's all. there is queue for the computer so better log off and let them back on.
Have a good Easter yourselves.
Fits our state as we sit back at the end of a very pleasant Easter Sunday.
School finished on Thursday after a manic week at the end of a manic term. Chantelle was away at Matamata doing her course, so I was it.
That included ferrying boys to various after school activities, sorting out bikes locked to lamposts at school with lost keys, cooking, cleaning, making sure all got to school on time, and that Eric got to Whangarei on Thursday for an orthodentist appointment to replace a broken brace wire - total travel time 4 hours, time spent in chair less than 10 minutes!
All to be expected really. Last week of term likewise. Kids all trying to complete work so they could meet deadlines to get credits, on top of all their other commitments and trips. My 12 Science class have been making red wine this term. They have to compare its density (and so alcohol content) with that of commercial wine. It was surprisingly good and strong. The grapes came from the principal's small vineyard. I was so impressed by the results that I will increase the size of our own vineyard and have a go at growing more grapes next year so that we can make our own vintage in the future.
We have finally de-stocked. The last 3 sheep went off to a guy a few kms away. We put the last lamb in the freezer. Ate a leg of it tonight - bloody gorgeous - literally as it was quite rare! That is the only part of sheep keeping that I will miss. The rest of it is a pain. Checking twice daily for - dog attacks, escapes, lameness, falling in drains, getting into tree areas, flystrike at certain times of year. They are not really that much hassle, but it is quite liberating having the property sheep free. For one thing I can leave all the gates open.
More than that it now makes sense to plant large numbers of trees all over the place. I have visited a number of really cool properties since we moved to Northland and none of them have been sheep farms! Alright if you like a short field of grass. I like the vertical dimension and have seen some really great treed places. Orchards with patches of garden is the look I am going for. Perhaps some kind of rambling jungle, with clearings where little shacks will sit hidden from the hot sun and from neighbours. Curving paths that wind beneath fruit trees, so that you can have a meal as you walk around the place.
Where were we? To accompany the lamb, there was a very acceptable bottle of Dalmatian wine made by one of William Tailby's neighbours. It had legs stout enough to get up and carry the glass away. Almost strong enough to be a port.
We have a couple of the boys' friends over for the night and now that the post-tea wrestling match has finished, they seem to have settled down to watch the film. Not a great selection tonight - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, followed by some Yank Hollywood offering. The only good thing is that there is no TV advertising, so you get the film in about half the time it would normally take. There have been some great films on Maori TV the last few Sunday nights. "Trouble on the Waewae Express" last week was a great little study of a group of youngsters who live and drive too fast. One of them kills his mate in a crash and then has to live with the repercussions. Half the cast were Maori and half Pakeha, including a Buddha-like Malayan taxi driver, who saves the guilt stricken driver from self-destruction. Lookout for it on C4 if you are in Blighty!
So we are gradually getting our breath back, Chantelle took the boys to the beach for the Easter dawn service. I have tried to have a proper Sabbath, by doing no school or farm work. It was difficult as I ended up doing washing up, cooking, and even some scything, but it was all just playing.
That's all. there is queue for the computer so better log off and let them back on.
Have a good Easter yourselves.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Crash!
We were rudely awakened from a cold induced early sleep last Saturday night by the sound of a car crashing into our garden.
No injuries amazingly.
Driver ran off leaving his large truck blocking our drive. We went out to investigate and phoned the police. We were impressed by their amazingly quick response time; and put it down to the big number in town keeping an eye on a kick-boxing match.
Meanwhile boy comes back with mate and another truck to remove the vehicle.
Police established who the driver had been. Car had landed on its wheels and and hit a fence post.
Recovery driver pulled crashed car over on its roof as he attempted to pull it back up the drive.
That was when we started taking pictures.
It all looked different on Sunday morning when boy and mates turned up to retrieve truck. They managed to do this but our fences and 2 gates were in the way so needed to be removed.
We wait for the team to come back and put right the damage.
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